“Stop.”
Lavinia, who usually stayed silent until Vitaria or Kael initiated a conversation with her, suddenly said something on her own.
Kael glanced at her with a frown and the Princess continued,
“Don’t attack them.”
“What…?”
“Let them attack the Town first.”
The Princess declared coldly.
“Imperia said there would be too many causalities if that happened.”
“Yes.”
Lavinia nodded.
“Yes…?”
Kael frowned.
“The number of causalities will be reduced when we go save the village.”
“There will be no causalities if we go attack the corrupted beasts right now.”
Kael countered, staring at the woman in front of him, the shock on his face couldn’t be hidden.
Was she telling him to… let people die…?
He couldn’t believe it.
Wasn’t she a being loved by the Elements? Someone who always had a pure heart?
What happened…?
Did the three years in captivity change her?
If yes then…
How is she still loved by the Elementals?
Kael momentarily glanced at Igni and even the Dragon seemed confused.
This shouldn’t be the case, someone loved by the Elementals should be the first to run and protect more lives, even if it meant sacrificing their own.
Was it foolish?
Maybe.
But that was simply the type of beings the Elementals loved.
That is also the reason the Elementals rarely interacted with Humans, after all, humans would always save themselves or their loved ones if they get the chance to. Humans who willingly sacrifice themselves for the people they do not even know would never survive in a rotten world where selfishness, greed and desire reigned supreme.
This was the entire reason Lavinia ended up like this.
But now…
Lavinia was acting differently.
And the most surprising part?
The Elementals still roamed around her.
Igni did not know what was happening.
“It is a Beast Tide, Kael.”
Lavinia, on the other hand, completely ignored Kael and his children’s shock and spoke with a solemn look on her face.
The Princess then turned towards Imperia and,
“How many Beasts are there?”
“Seventy-one.”
Imperia gave the exact number. Her children had already surrounded the area, she knew everything they needed to know.
Lavinia nodded and she then turned towards Kael,
“Corrupted Beasts do not feel Fear. Even if we have Dragons on our side, at best, it would only intimidate them. They will still charge at us regardless.
There are only six of us, even if we are strong, do you think it is possible for us to take on Seventy-One Frenzied Beasts who will charge at us without fear all on our own?
Even if we win, the cost we would have to pay would be… unbearable.”
Lavinia then looked into Kael’s eyes, her usually emotionless eyes flickered with a solemn light and,
“I have seen my Bonds die right in front of me, Kael.
And from the time I have spent with you, I can tell you do not have the heart to see what I saw.”
The instant the Princess said those words, Kael’s heart shuddered.
He didn’t think it through.
He had gotten so used to fighting in the Ancient Call’s Dimension—a place where he or his children cannot die—that he didn’t even consider the possibility of his children dying.
Kael clenched his fists in anger.
Lavinia, however, misinterpreted that action and she sighed,
“Look, I will not say that there will be no deaths if we do this. The town will have some causalities, but I promise I will find a way to keep them to a minimum. As the Hero, you need to understand that while protecting people is your job, your Bonds aren’t just your children, they are the part of your strength and you need to preserve that str—”
“We will wait till the Town is attacked.”
Kael declared directly.
“Huh…?”
Lavinia blinked, somewhat taken aback.
“What?”
“Huh?”
“Why do you look so shocked? I just said we will be doing what you told me to.”
“No, I just…”
Lavinia didn’t know how to put it.
“Aren’t you the Hero? You are supposed to protect people, are you not?”
“Before a Hero, I am a Father.
I will not put my children’s lives at risk, no matter what. I will protect people when I can, but I will always prioritize my own people before anyone else.”
“Oh…”
Lavinia muttered, it was difficult to know what she was thinking. A few seconds later, as if the woman had considered everything,
“That’s a good thinking.”
She muttered lightly.
She already learned that she was wrong in loving people equally and always finding good in them. She was naïve and she was prepared to change that.
Maybe…
Maybe she could learn a thing or two from the Hero.
“So what’s the plan?”
While Lavinia was thinking all that, Kael questioned.
“Hm?”
“The plan.
How are we going to deal with those Corrupted Beasts? Should we go alert that town and help them prepare their defences?”
“You are asking me to come up with a plan?”
Lavinia questioned back, somewhat surprised.
“You are obviously better at this than me. Unlike me, who acts quickly, you take your time and think things through.
So you be the strategist and I’ll follow your lead.
The only thing I want is for all six of us to come out of this alive and without injuries if possible.”
Hearing those words, Lavinia smiled lightly and nodded.
For some reason unknown to her, she liked how Kael mentioned all six of them instead of just him and his children.
“It will be alright if I get injured, as you know, my body heals on its own. There might even be a Healer in the Town, actually, I believe coming up with a Plan will be easier if we go to them.
If we take over the command and cooperate properly, then the number of causalities will drop. We can also make some changes in the defence syste—”
“We will not be going to the Town.”
Lavinia shook her head.
“What…?”
“We will wait till they are attacked before making an appearance.”
“Why is that?”
Kael frowned in confusion.
“It will be easier to take over the command when they are desperate.”
“…”
Kael blinked in surprise.
This woman…
Was she really a pure-hearted, kind being…?
Why does she seem the exact opposite of that…?
“Kael, I am a Princess who fell to corruption and was exiled from her Kingdom and you are a runaway Hero who left the Kingdom.
Do you think they will hand over the command to us just because we tell them to?
Hiding our identities would make it even more difficult since no sane being would let unknown people lead them.
Even if we have Lord Igni and Lady Cirri on our side and we use them to take the command, there will still be resistance.
The last thing we need right now is to divide those people into two groups.
So for now, let them fight as one, once things become difficult, we will make an appearance and take command in one scoop without any divide. Lord Igni’s display of his might will make sure no one will resist us when that happens.”
“Igni won’t be fighting.”
Kael shook his head.
“Huh?”
Lavinia frowned.
“I have been hiding Igni ever since I came to this world, I cannot reveal his existence. You are the only Human who has seen him.”
Kael revealed.
“What…?”
Lavinia couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“Why…?”
She questioned.
“I… I have reasons to hide him.”
“What reasons?”
“…”
At the Princess’s question, Kael hesitated.
He didn’t know if he trusted Lavinia enough to reveal his talent but he didn’t wish to lie to her either.
“Kael.”
Noticing his hesitation, Lavinia called out.
“You cannot hide Lord Igni’s existence forever, he is your strongest companion.”
“I know that but…”
Again, Kael hesitated, but then,
“Igni was supposed to be a Firefang Wyvern.”
“What…?”
Lavinia’s eyes widened in surprise.
Kael nodded,
“The King gave me a Firefang Wyvern’s Egg, but when he hatched, Igni was much different than the Firefang Wyverns drawn in the illustrations I saw.
At first, I thought Igni was a mutated Firefang Wyvern, but when I used my eyes on him, I realized he was a Dragon.”
“Lord Igni… hatched from a Firefang Wyvern’s Egg?”
Lavinia blinked in surprise.
“Yes.”
Kael nodded.
He decided this was for the best and he didn’t exactly lie, he just… did not say the complete truth.
“But… how is this possible?”
The Princess still couldn’t believe it.
“How am I supposed to know? I only know that the Firefang Wyvern given to me turned into a Dragon. I had already seen the first vision where I had seen mine and Igni’s death, I was afraid, so I decided to hide Igni from others.”
“…”
Lavinia turned silent.
Kael’s fear…
It wasn’t unfounded.
She could see how everyone would have reacted if they were told that the Hero turned a Firefang Wyvern into a Dragon.
Even if it was merely fate or a stroke of luck, the rumor that the Hero has the Power to create Dragons would have spread, evil eyes would have been attracted, it wouldn’t be surprising if the King himself secretly abducted him and forced him to create more Dragons.
Death would have been the least of Kael’s worries then.
Hiding Igni’s existence was a smart move.
But…
“How long are you planning to hide Lord Igni?”
Lavinia questioned directly.
A question that Kael already had an answer for,
“Till I am strong enough to protect him.”
“So you wish to protect a Dragon?”
Lavinia raised her eyebrow.
“Dragon or not, Igni is my child.”
Kael’s voice grew louder.
Lavinia stared at him for a moment and then,
“I didn’t think you were so selfish,
At least not when it came to the children you claim to love so much.”
“What…?”